BOOMERANG BAGS BOSTON

LAUNCHED IN MAY 2017, we are a VOLUNTEER driven group working with DONATED FABRIC to make a DRAMATIC SHIFT in a city we love. TOGETHER we can make CHANGES, INDIVIDUALLY we can make a DIFFERENCE, one less plastic bag at a time. We encourage you to join us - NO MATTER YOUR SKILL SET. If you work, play, live or just LOVE BOSTON we want you to JOIN US.

What is a BOOMERANG BAg?

POLICY IS GOOD - ACTION IS GREAT - TOGETHER WE CAN DO THIS

The City of Boston has been debating banning single use plastic bags for over a year. Meanwhile, the streets of Boston, our harbor, rivers, and streams drown in the 219 MILLION BAGS that are used in Boston each year! Only a small percentage of plastic bags used every year are recycled. One of the big concerns heard from opposition is that a bag ban would negatively affect low income residents as well as senior citizens.

Regardless of how the City votes on passing an ordinance to ban or reduce plastic bags, habits and practices need to change. We have launched the first BAG SHARE in Boston this Summer.

The idea is that fabric, resources, space, time and people-power will be donated to create reusable cloth bags. These bags will be displayed at stores and people can take one or more and return it. We are a chapter of Australian-based Boomerang Bags. Thanks, Aussies! www.boomerangbags.org

Where you can find us

The Big Picture

Plastic bags are polluting our city, our waterways and our world!

WE HAVE A SOLUTION!

By making a thousand cloth bags for a store, we are offering an alternative to plastic for folks on-the-go. When you forget to bring your bag to the store, take a Boomerang and return it the next time. Like Hubway offers bikes for sharing; Boomerang offers our community an alternative to single-use plastic bags.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

There are many ways to help and you don’t need to know how to sew! There are 16 small steps to complete each bag.

You can participate at whatever stage you are interested. Full and clear instructions and support are offered at each stage (see how-to below). Folks who are interested in joining the efforts should fill out our CONTACT FORM. Join us in whatever capacity you are able! Let's make Boston shine!

WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP To

hosted two weekend sew-a-thons at the Stitch House in Dorchester in May, June, October and November 2017

collected donated fabric from all over the metro Boston area

had volunteers come from all parts of Dorchester, JP, West Roxbury, Milton, Maine, Providence and Hull

the ages of volunteers have been between 7 to in their 70's and we have even had three generations helping a sew-a-thon. We had grandmas, grandpas, boys, girls, moms, dads, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and aunties

people have continue to sew, iron, pin and match pieces of the bag between the sew-a-thons, which has been a crucial piece to this all

received food donations from amazing cafes, stores and local food entrepreneurs

spoke before Boston City Council and handed out a Boomerang Bag to each City Councilor and Mayor Marty Walsh

working to get translation in 10 different languages!!!

we have completed

496 new bags to date!

100's of bags in progress

we are in initial talks with the Daily Table in Dorchester which hits all the right notes of aiming to get the bags into the hands of a store in a low-income area where people visit regularly

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

Boomerang Bags Boston Chapter is a collective of residents and community activists living in Boston, led by Sierra Rothberg of Lusterity, Clean Up Boston and a local Girl Scout leader, Yooree Lorsodo of On The Dot Books, Mary Grady, a Boston Public School teacher and fellow Girl Scout leader, Vienna Rothberg of Goga and creator of P.L.E.A.S.U.R.E. at MIT, Ann Walsh Chief of Family Engagement at 1647, and Cathy Armer who is our word and editor wiz who believe that we can thrive as a city that is free of single-use plastic bags. We believe that we can come together to create a solution to provide people free access to re-usable bags when they cannot afford them.

Pumpkin pie Thursday? It should be a thing. Our first one was so good we made a second. #glutenfree #pumpkinpie #thanksgiving

We did it! We hosted 26 people who traveled all the way from a key club at a school in Queens NY to participate in the Boomerang Bag Boston project this afternoon. None had ironing experience and only one had sewn before. These kids were champs and had a great time in the process. Thanks to the chaperones @cheryl.robinson @viennaviennavienna And @y00ree for helping in every way so we came out standing. Thanks to @dorchesterhomestead for letting us transform their space into a full work room. And a huge thanks to all the sewers who continued to kick butt at the @stitchhousedot while we ran the satellite space. #boom #boomerangbagboston Find out how you can join the party at www.lusterity.com/boomerangbagsboston

It's as soft as it looks. Thanks to @stitchhousedot for letting us host a full weekend of fun, learning, community and doing good @boomerangbags #sustainability www.lusterity.com/boomerangbagsboston #banthebag #zerowaste #boston #sustainability

50 and fabulous! Drinking from a vintage salt glazed stein is glamorous - crowns are just the icing on the cake. Lovely night hosted by @gary.mendoza.902